The 135th district includes east Allentown, much of the city of Bethlehem and the second ward of Bethlehem Township, Pa.

Barreto after conceding called the campaign "tough" against a longtime incumbent. He said he didn't think Samuelson was in touch with voters during the race.

"I want him to get back in touch with the people," Barreto said. "And take their concerns to Harrisburg."

Samuelson, a married father of two, during his campaign vowed to fight the $1.2 billion in cuts made to state education funding that, he said, hurt the Lehigh Valley. He also characterized himself as a hands-on legislator who makes house calls to citizens and believed an educated workforce is essential to Pennsylvania’s economic development.

Samuelson during the campaign had touted his record in fighting for reform in Harrisburg. He pushed many times for legislation to take congressional redistricting out of the hands of the Legislature and into the hands of a nonpartisan committee and he vowed to keep at it.

Barreto in his second bid for an elected seat after an unsuccessful run for Bethlehem Area School Board in 2011, had wanted to eliminate school property taxes with an increase in the income and sales taxes. Barreto also said school districts have been hit hard by funding cuts and he’d like to see funding increase.

Both candidates also favored closing the Delaware loophole, that allows companies to avoid paying taxes, however, they supported different proposals. Barreto had backed Pennsylvania tapping its own energy in the Marcellus Shale, but had said that tax should be increased in line with other states.

Samuelson had wanted to see a fair extraction tax on natural gas drillers and sponsored a bill that would do so.